Building a successful personal injury case requires attention to detail and diligence. After all, you’re going to need adequate evidence to not only prove the elements of your case, but also to push back against any defenses that might be raised. While there are several aspects of your case that you’ll need to address, in this post we want to look at one that’s often glazed over in these cases: photographic evidence.
Why photographic evidence matters
The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is certainly true in the personal injury context. If you have photographs of the accident scene and your injuries, then you’re going to paint a more compelling picture for the judge and jury. These pictures can also help you capture detail that’s difficult to explain in words, or that you might’ve otherwise miss. So, gathering photographic evidence could be crucial in your case.
Not all photos are created equal. And bad pictures can stymie your case, making it difficult to prove what you’re trying to show. Therefore, if you or someone you trust is going to take pictures to support your case, then you should consider doing the following:
- Capturing multiple angles: There’s no such thing as taking too many pictures of your accident. In fact, by taking pictures from different angles and taking some with and without flash, you can be sure that you’ve captured every aspect of the crash. Then you can go through those pictures and pick the ones that are going to be most helpful to your case.
- Taking pictures of the area surrounding the accident scene: While you’ll want to take pictures of damage caused to the cars involved in the accident, you’ll also want to capture the area surrounding the wreck. This includes intersections, traffic signs, and road conditions. These pictures can help you contextualize the accident so that you can lay a foundation for key issues like the applicable speed limit and whether there were any stop signs that were implicated.
- Taking progressive photographs of your injuries: It might feel gruesome to take pictures of your injuries, but you want the jury to have an emotional reaction to the harm that’s been caused to you. It can also be helpful to take pictures of your injuries as they start to heal so that the jury can understand the long and painful recovery process you’ve been forced to endure. This evidence can help support your non-economic damages claim, such as those tied to pain and suffering and lost enjoyment of life.
- Photographing witness contact information: In the immediate aftermath of your wreck, your body is going to be coursing with adrenaline. As a result, you might make an error in transcribing witness contact information. But by having them write it down and taking a picture of it, you eliminate your error out of the equation.
Build the holistic personal injury case you need
Your financial future and your physical and mental recovery are on the line when you pursue a personal injury case. Therefore, you’ll want to be as thorough as possible when building your case. The process can be stressful, but don’t let that deter you from taking legal action.
